CAST: Edward Burns (Jake Vig), Rachel Weisz (Lily), Andy Garcia (Agent Gunther Butan), Dustin Hoffman (The King), Paul Giamatti (Gordo), Donal Logue (Officer Whitworth), Luis Guzmán (Officer Manzano), Brian Van Holt (Miles), Franky G (Lupus), Morris Chestnut (Travis) SCR: Doug Jung DIR: James Foley STUDIO: Lion's Gate Films MPAA: R, for language, violence and sexuality/nudity RUNNING TIME: 98 minutes OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.confidencethemovie.com/main.htm Of all the different genres of movies, crime dramas have got to be my favorite. From RESERVOIR DOGS to L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, there is nothing better than a good crime yarn. The keyword there of course is good. For every USUAL SUSPECTS and PULP FICTION, there are a thousand ill conceived, horribly written, Tarantino-esque scripts that somehow get green lighted and inexcusably find their way to the big screen. That was especially evident after QT's early 90's releases. Every studio had to have a crime drama, and the writing masses were happy to oblige. Unfortunately, the good was definitely out weighed by the bad and the ugly, and studios churned out disappointed after disappointment. And even though we are beyond that glutinous time, it still is hit or miss when it comes to that genre. CONFIDENCE is definitely on the hit side as it adds a twist to the crime drama genre that will have you guessing until the end. Jake Vig (Edward Burns) is a sharp and polished grifter. He and his crew, inside man Gordo (Paul Giamatti) and Shills Miles (Brian Van Holt) and Big Al (Louis Lombardi), along with corrupt LAPD officers Lloyd Whitworth (Donal Logue) and Omar Manzano (Luis Guzman), take down a big score from unsuspecting mark worth $150,000. Although it soon becomes clear that this wasn't just any mark. Jake is quick to learn that he was an accountant for eccentric and ruthless crime boss Winston King (Dustin Hoffman), who is not too happy about being taken. Jake, not willing to part with his score, offers to repay "The King" by pulling off the biggest con of his career. With brash pickpocket/grifter Lily (Rachel Weisz) added to the crew, and Jake's old nemesis FBI agent Gunther Butan (Andy Garcia) hot on their tail, Jake and his crew have to stay one step ahead of both the criminals and the cops to take down the score of a lifetime. CONFIDENCE nails it all the way around. From the biggest players to the smallest cons, the ensemble cast is superb. Hoffman leads the way with a brilliant performance as the fast-talking over the top crime boss. His mannerisms are right on as the eccentric businessman, and he steals the show with the supporting role. Burns is also strong as the cocky, supremely self-confident Jake, and Giamatti does well as the nervous and funny Gordo. Penned by Doug Jung, the screenplay is solid throughout and very clever. He moves the plot along at a quick pace with likeable characters, smart dialogue, and creative twists. With everything that the script encompasses, it is quite an impressive screen-writing debut for Jung. From the seedy bar, to the posh strip club, director James Foley uses colors and shadows to their fullest potential giving the film a great look with a gritty feel. Combined with an array of wipes in editing that superbly accents Foley's vision, they have got the genre's look down pat. All in all, CONFIDENCE is everything that you look for in a crime drama. It is thoroughly entertaining and will keep you guessing until the end. Being a pessimist, I know that there is another crime drama right around the corner just waiting to suck, but for now I can bask in CONFIDENCE's ingenuity. While disappointment will be inevitable, this film has instilled a renewed confidence in the genre. --reviewed by JOSEPH McCAFFREY